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Quotes From Eagles-Bucs Game

Here are quotes from key parties after the Bucs devastating loss to the Eagles, compiled by the media relations staffs of both the Eagles and the Bucs.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

GREG SCHIANO

(On being third-and-7 on Tampa Bay’s final drive)
“You know, there are two ways to play it. You can try to throw the ball, (but) we decided to run the ball and make them use their timeout, let it tick. My thinking was, we can punt the ball away and, if we get a stop, the game is over, they have no timeouts. If we don’t get the stop, we put it on the defense and we didn’t come up with the stop. When you are on the positive side, our side of the playing field, the risk-reward; tipped pass, anything that could go wrong, where they could get the ball on the plus side. As it turns out, we didn’t have a great punt, which could have helped. You hit a boomer there, you get them back to the 18, 16, 20, whatever, but that’s not what happened. At the end of the day, we just had too many mistakes to win an NFL football game. It’s what it boils down to.”

(On mistakes during the game)
“Just throughout the game, there were too many penalties at inopportune times. We had our hands on some balls that we didn’t catch. We were fortunate, too; there were some balls that they could have intercepted and they didn’t. At the end of the day, we didn’t play well enough, we didn’t coach well enough to win and that responsibility falls on me. I’m in charge. We needed to play better to win and it didn’t happen.”

(On QB Josh Freeman)
“I’ll have to watch the tape to see exactly what the problems were. It just seemed like he wasn’t himself, wasn’t in sync. Then he made some throws that make you say, ‘Oh, there he is.’ We as an offensive football team didn’t play the way we are capable of playing. We made some critical mistakes. At the end of the day you can’t do that in the National Football League. It doesn’t work.”

(On losing three games in a row)
“I’d be disappointed if there was a harder way to prepare and get ready then what we have been doing. We try to do everything that we can. Turn over every stone. That is the way that we operate. We are going to continue to do that, we have to do something. I have to do something to get our team to play better because we didn’t play well enough to win and that’s my job.”

(On the loss)
“We made too many mistakes. It’s not mistakes because guys aren’t working, guys aren’t preparing; it’s more guys making mistakes (from) trying to do too much. You have to do your job, that’s our whole mantra: Do Your Job. And we all – coaches, players – you try to call too perfect of a play, or you try to do something as a player to make something happen… (Football is) the ultimate team game for a reason. You have to do your job, and when you do that it gives you a chance to win. Today, we didn’t do that consistently enough and that’s why we lost.”

QB JOSH FREEMAN

(On losing a close game)
“Any time we lose, it’s frustrating, no matter what the reason is. Today, Philly just found a way to make more plays than us. Whether it (was) at the beginning of the game or down the stretch, it doesn’t matter when it happened, but it happened. We have to find a way to make more plays and score more points. That’s what the game is all about: winning and losing. Any time you lose, and lose close, it’s going to be rough.”

(On watching the final drive)
“That’s part of the game, part of the game. You have to find a way to get it so it’s not that close at the end. The Eagles, like I said, made more plays and down the stretch found a way to make the plays to win the game.”

(On teammates RB Doug Martin and WR Vincent Jackson)
“No question, both of those guys (are important). Vincent had a number of huge catches, including his touchdown. Doug as well, got him running, got him rolling, and busted some tackles, busted some big runs. Mike Williams and I thought the offensive line really cranked it up the second half and answered the call. The fact remains that it wasn’t enough.”

(On the first half of the game)
“We were just a little off. We were taking shots and trying to throw it down field and then one to Vincent (Jackson) was out front of him. The one to Mike (Williams), the guy jumped up and made a play on it. If you hit a couple of those, you really have something going. But, first half, I thought our defense did a great job holding them to 10 points, but you definitely have to come out and play better in the first half and score more points.”

(On what issues the team faced)
“It’s hard to say, because practice, preparation – we’ve been continuing to push the envelope and to work extremely hard. We had a great week of practice, but we just weren’t finding the plays (in the game). We weren’t finding the plays downfield that we normally do. It’s frustrating, but, at the same time, it something that you know that your guys can do that you’re capable of doing. It was there first half today. We didn’t do enough today but all we can do is go out and continue to prepare and continue to play.”

(On the rest of the season)
“We have three games. The one that we’re focusing on is the next one, the New Orleans Saints. After the season is the time for reflection, right now we’re going to try to go in and prepare as well as we can and find a way to win our next game.”

RB DOUG MARTIN

(On the second half)
“Coach Schiano always talks about doing your job and I think that’s what we did coming out in the second half and (Vincent Jackson) had a great game as well as Mike Williams. Josh (Freeman) also did a good job of getting the ball to them.”

(On the loss)
“A loss is a loss. Any loss feels bad, but we just need to bounce back and get ready for the next game.”

(On his play)
“It’s a loss, so I can’t really feel good about anything. Individual stats only matter if you get the W. That’s the main point, right there.”

DB RONDE BARBER

(On the game)
“(Philadelphia) made more plays than we did. I’ll give them credit, the QB went out and executed his two-minute and drove it better than we did on defense.”

(On whether the game was especially dangerous with Philadelphia’s record)
“There isn’t any danger – this is the NFL. I don’t care if they are 3-9 or 6-6. (The Eagles) have been playing good for their coach and they showed up on the field every week.”

(On whether the Super Bowl XXXVII anniversary affected today’s game)
“It was an honor to be a part of the 2002 Buccaneers team. It was nice to see all of those guys, but it had nothing to do with the product on the field (today) – so it doesn’t hurt more or less. It’s 2012 and that was 10 years ago. They celebrated rightfully, but it has nothing to do with this 2012 team.”

CB DANNY GORRER

(On the game)
“It was a real good game. I want to tip my hat to the Eagles; they made more plays than we did today. We have to get back to the drawing board.”

(On his near-interception at the end of the game)
“When I saw the ball, I kind of got excited and what not, but the great corners in this game make those balls. If I want to be a leader and take my game to another level, I have to make that play through the seam.”

(On the last play)
“We knew they had a shot to win the game and we called the defense. We thought the defense was good and we went with it. Like I said, they made one more play than we did and we’ll go back to work Monday.”

DE MICHAEL BENNETT

(On the final play)
“It was a sprint-out pass and you know that that was their play. That’s most teams play in the NFL. In order to get one guy open, they have him running and everyone else is just blocking. For a defensive line, everything is rushing one way and you think it is a rush play. It’s one of those things, they called that play, we knew that play, and as veterans on this team we should have stood up and made those plays.”

DT GERALD McCOY

(On playing in front of Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl XXXVII Championship team)
“Yeah, you recognize they’re here; you’d like to win the game for them. If you know the history of Tampa Bay, you know that Philly was an issue for them. A game like this, you definitely want to get the win.”

(On his personal performance)
“It had nothing to do with them (the Super Bowl-winning team); that’s me playing for God. We got a message last night in chapel and they said, ‘What are you playing for?’ They told us what we should play for and that’s my motivation. Just playing as hard as I can for God.

(On the play of QB Nick Foles)
“It’s not easy to keep your poise when you’re getting hit all day as a rookie, but he did. All the credit goes to him. Mike (Bennett) got to him early on that last drive, (and Foles) could have gotten nervous, but he didn’t. (He) sat in the pocket, made the plays and they got a good win. Came on the road and got a good win.”

PHILADELPHIA EAGLESANDY REID

(Opening statement)
“Listen, the fans were unbelievable. You got to give them credit there. They were out here [and at] times I wasn’t sure who had more fans. I was proud of that part. I was proud of our players for just fighting their tails off. I can go through and give individual accolades, but, as a team, they fought like crazy. Greg Schiano’s put together one heck of a football team and he’s building this thing the right way. That’s a tough football team right there and they’re going to win a lot of football games. To be able to sneak it out like that, that was quite a feat. Again, I’m proud of our guys. It’s been a while since we’ve won one so we’re going to enjoy this one and then get ready for Thursday night.”

(On the play of QB Nick Foles on the final drive)
“He made some great, big throws. It looked like he rallied the crew in there and everybody stepped their game up. The O-line had had a couple breakdowns in the middle of the game there and he was able to rally those guys or they rallied around him, whichever way it went. It looked like Nick really did well, made good decisions, and made big plays.”

(On Tampa bay’s run defense)
“Well, they’re the number one team in the National Football League in stopping the run, so we knew that coming in [and] we knew we were going to have to throw the football a little bit, hoping we could balance it off, but they shut down the run game pretty good. It gave us an opportunity to throw the ball a little bit and picked it up towards the end there.”

(On how important this type of win is for a young quarterback)
“How important is it for a young guy? I’d tell you, it’s a step forward. He’s coming off, I thought, a positive game against Dallas. He put together a good game here against a defense that’s tough and he had to battle. It just wasn’t a smooth event. We had our ups and downs, the ebbs and flows of the game, and he hung with it. It looked like he made people around him better and in himself, he got better.”

(On the conversation with QB Foles before the game-winning touchdown)
“Well, listen, he wanted that last play. That’s the play that he wanted so, I’m talking about the last play of the game. He called it, he wanted it, and he executed it. He did a great job of it, so hats off to him. He came off and he wanted that play. It was a play that we had put in the game plan, in that situation, but that’s the one he liked the best. He was feeling it. It’s a great thing when your quarterback is in tune like that. When he came off, he goes, ‘Hey, I’m feeling this right here.’ You saw (Philadelphia Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator) Marty (Mornhinweg) give him a high-five. That’s what that was all about. (Mornhinweg) just goes, ‘Hey, that’s an awesome deal. That was a great feeling right there.’ So, I’m proud of the kid.”

(On the play of the Eagles’ defensive line)
“I thought they did well against the run. They got a good running team: good run offense, good running back and a good offensive line. I thought (for) our D-line, I’ve always said this, it starts there. I thought they did a nice job. They played a good combo game where you’re able to get some pressure on Freeman. Again, he’s tough to get to as we’ve seen over the last bit. We were able to get a little pressure on him and make a difference there. I thought they played well.”

(On building the team’s confidence)
“They’re excited. You go two months without winning a game in Philadelphia, that’s a tough thing, man. I’m proud of these guys, just staying true to themselves and battling like crazy and coming up with a win down here. The fans, down here, were awesome.”

QB NICK FOLES

(On why he likes to run the particular play that won the game)
“I just like a movement play in that situation because it changes throwing lanes. If you’re in the pocket, a guy can undercut it, whereas if you’re on the run, there’s no undercut. I just like movement plays. It felt good. It was the first play that came to my head.”

(On what was going through his mind during the final drive)
“The big thing is to be smart with the football. Be aggressive. (You) can’t take sacks. The line did a great job up front, really giving me time to throw, and our receivers ran great routes. When that happens it’s a lot easier to execute. The guys really did a great job. It was a great team win. We all stuck together and fought throughout the game.”

(On his rushing touchdown)
“It was just one of those plays where it turns into backyard football. I felt a little pressure, stepped up and got out of the pocket. Sometimes you’ve got to move around and make a play.”

(On getting his first win as a starting quarterback)
“I’m so excited for my teammates, me, coach Reid, our organization, our owners. It’s just very special, very humbling. It’s a great win too because we came back. We were winning. We lost it. The team stuck together. There was never a doubt in our minds. It was exciting to go out there and execute.”

(On the game providing validation)
“This is a special game. It’s a big win for us. We haven’t won in like two months. The emotions are going crazy right now. I really just want to enjoy it with my teammates because we were out there fighting together. Our coaches were with us every step of the way. It’s a big win for us.”

(On having the final playcall in his hands)
“We (Head Coach Andy Reid and Foles) were on the same page. He trusts me. That’s big when you have your coach that trusts you in that situation. I told him I was comfortable with the play and he said, ‘Let’s do it.’”

WR JEREMY MACLIN

(On the win)
“All around as a team, we just never quit. You guys are seeing Nick Foles grow into a phenomenal quarterback right in front of your eyes. I think the sky is the limit for him. One thing we have to do, we understand that this season hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to go, (but) we just have to stay positive and stay fighting until the end.”

(On the final drive)
“I’m never, ever, ever going to have any thought in my head other than we can do it. That’s how I am, that’s my mindset always. This team never quits, everybody in here wanted this game so bad. From the coaches, to the players, to everybody in this organization, (we) just wanted to win so badly. I don’t care how we did it, it just happened to fall like that. Not winning in two months, that’s crazy, but this one feels good.”

(On the final catch)
“When I came out and saw the coverage, I knew that I had a good opportunity of getting this ball. Nick (Foles) put the ball down and away like he was supposed to, I went down and got the ball, made sure I was in bounds, and the rest is history.”

LB JAMAR CHANEY

(On getting an opportunity to play)
“Wednesday I found out. I was very excited. I waited a long time and it was kind of hard just sitting there waiting. Just got to be patient and wait on the Lord; (He) helped me through it. Got a win today, that’s the best thing right there.”

(On staying patient)
“It was real tough, starting every game last year. This year, you don’t get on the field that much; it’s real hard. You just have to continue working, and that’s one thing that I try and do. You can ask the coaches, when we go against the offense in practice, I try and go real hard, not only to help them but to help myself, just in case something happens.

DE BRANDON GRAHAM

(On the defensive line)
“It always feels good to know that we played good. I know that when we get to the film, we are going to have more stuff to correct. But overall, I think we played good.”

(On Tampa Bay’s last drive)
“Get off the field. Three-and-out. Forget about that first run that we made. We still had a shot. They had the holding call, and (on) that third down I can remember DeMeco (Ryans) saying ‘Get off the field, this is that play that we talk about in meetings, get off the field.’ Sure enough, (Fletcher) Cox made a play. It felt good to get off the field, because we gave our offense a chance to win the game.”

RB BRYCE BROWN

(On the win)
“I think it gives us a lot of confidence in ourselves. (It’s) a great win for our coaches. Everybody was in position and glad we made a play. Feels good that we got the win. It was a close game so nerves were there, but I’m excited we got the win. It was a long, hard-fought game.”

(On the booth review of the final play)
“I mean we could all see he was clearly in, so we just decided to hear the call. Then once we got it, it was a sigh of relief.”

(On not giving up the season)
“We’ve got a really strong team. I think a lot of credit goes to our veterans. The veterans are really pushing us to continue to fight. In football, things are going to happen. You’re not going to always have a great season all the time, but it’s important that you continue to fight because it shows the character you have as a person.”

LB DeMECO RYANS

(On QB Nick Foles)
“You see his progression every week, and he just continues to get better and better. For his fourth start, to be able to go out and make a game-winning drive the way he did, even though he was getting hit a little bit the way he did, but he stuck in there and made the tough plays, made the tough throws to help us win this game. It’s special to see a rookie come in and play the way he’s been playing. Nick has a great upside. You see Nick with the decision-making that he has, he’s going to continue to get better as he has over the past four weeks. With him continuing to get the reps and continuing to get the looks, understanding how defenses are trying to attack him, he’ll continue to do well and he’ll be a tough quarterback in this league as he continues to grow and study more.”

(On the defense in today’s game)
“We stop the run. We got them in third-and-long situations and we were able to come out there and get pressure on the quarterback, something we haven’t done in a long time […]. That was the difference (from) prior weeks when guys would make plays on us on a third down. We eliminated the big plays. We didn’t have any big plays. We made them drive the ball down when they had to score.”

CB DOMINIQUE RODGERS-CROMARTIE

(On the success against Tampa Bay’s passing attack)
“The pressure was better, even if he (Tampa Bay QB Josh Freeman) had an open route. He wasn’t able to just stand there and make the throws he could normally make, so I think the pressure is what really got him.”

(On Philadelphia QB Nick Foles)
“One thing I know about Nick, and that’s a fact, is that he always stays calm and cool and we never lost faith in him.”

(On the win)
“I give credit to the offense, they go down there and drive like that and Nick stands in the pocket, taking hits. I’m proud of him, just to get a win, it feels good. I think it’s going to bring back the morale of the team and we can just go out and keep the team going. The defense made the stop (on third down) and the offense did what it’s supposed to do.”

WR JASON AVANT

(On what the game proves)
“You really can’t take to heart what people say, especially when you are down. In hard times, people say things they don’t really mean, whether it be fans or players or what have you. So we never took it to heart. We know that we played hard; it’s just that we were turning the ball over. And today we did a good job offensively of not turning the ball over. We had one (giveaway) and we overcame that one as a team and Nick (Foles) did a great job. It’s never been an effort issue; it’s been more of an executing-the-game-plan issue. We always played hard, we just made inopportune mistakes and we did better today.”

(On his conversion on fourth-and-5 during the final drive)
“I didn’t know how close I was. The first thing I was thinking was to squeeze the ball, because when the safety is around I know those defenders are around. I tried to get as much as I could and keep my feet going and tried to get in the end zone, and, once I couldn’t, it was time for me to get the ball to the closest referee and not let (Tampa Bay) touch it, and I was thinking that if I put the ball on the ground they would kick it and the game would be over, so I was just thinking about getting the ball to the nearest referee.”

8 Responses to “Quotes From Eagles-Bucs Game”

To joe, your a humiliation to the Bucs fan base. Your as negative of a fan as they get. Were still in the process of rebuilding. Were actually just about done when we get a DB or two and let our young D develop together. Why do you hate josh Freeman ? Hes the best QB in the history of the buccaneers franchize. Next game he will break the Buccaneers record for most TD passes EVER. Yes I said EVER. Are 10-6 season he had something like the 6th best TD-INT ratio EVER. Yes I said EVER. In the history of fotball. And this uear he has 25 tds and 8 ints. Thats pretty amazing if u ask me, withoit the two best OL players on our team. He had ONE bad season. ONE. Get off his d**k and let him keep up his 92 quarterback rating and keep breaking our franchize records. Your quick to talk down on someone when theyre not perfect. IMO your a horrible fan, maybe you should talk about the positives like me, a real fan.

Btw by reading all your post I dont think youve watched every play, and every second of every game of Freemans career with the Bucs like me. And your not a football player which would mean you dont know the ins and outs of football like me. Its a team game. Theres no I in team.

@Brooks255 – Exactly, Brooks, there is no “I” in team. Joe’s loyalty and focus is to the team and what’s best for it, not individual players.

Regarding Freeman, he has a lot more to prove whether you want to believe it or not. Those stats you mentioned don’t mean a lot, at least as it relates to winning a championship. Freeman’s career record as a starter is 23-30, so the scrutiny is warranted. And by the way, it’s ok to be critical of your own team. It doesn’t make you less of a fan, as long as you cheer every play when the whistle blows.

@Brooks2055 – Your comment is so embarrassing that it was hard to read. I’ve been to every single Bucs home game for 20+ years now and I’ve seen the decades of horribleness up close and personal. Stating reality is not being a “horrible fan” and being positive does not make you a good fan. Being positive to the point of delusion (like you) actually makes you a terrible fan. Nothing changes for the better when everyone sits around and smiles after losing and points to nonsense Bucs franchise records as being a good sign of things to come. The Bucs have a strong history of losing. Being the best loser doesn’t make you great.

“He had ONE bad season.” Are you kidding? He’s had 3/4 bad seasons. To add to Joe’s stat above..of those 23 wins, ONLY 6 are against teams with a winning record AND 10 out of those 23 times we had to comeback and win the game in the 4th quarter. TD/INT ratio is the most meaningless and frequently referenced nonsense stat on these boards. It is IRRELEVANT. Here are some QBs with a WORSE TD/INT ratio this year:

Peyton Manning
Ben Reothlisberger
Matt Ryan
Drew Brees
Eli Manning

Pick ONE that is worse than Josh Freeman. But hey, you’re the football player after all and these are just objective facts I’m presenting here. What position did you play in high school?

In fact, I’d be much rather willing to have a conversation with a real Bucs fan who knows the “ins and outs of football” which unfortunately Brooks255 you do NOT. If you have seen all of 5’s snaps, you would have seen him missing wide open receivers by 5-6 yards. Sure you’ve seen him light up the stat sheet when either playing a sub .500 team or when trying to mount a feverish comeback after getting 14 pts in the hole. By the way, when a team has a 14 pt lead, they tend to back off on coverage, making it easier to pad your stats.

I’m tired of Freeman getting a pass by “real Bucs fans”. It’s okay to be pissed off, that’s exactly what I am today. I’m incredibly pissed at the fact that we are in a predicament for the draft next year. We need a defensive backfield if we want to even have a .500 next year, but we need a QB if we want to have a playoff WIN in the next 5-6 yrs. What do you choose?

*College and SS. He did have ONe bad season. Take away that one horrific season and his records about .500 or a little better. Lets take the 5 Qbs out of that list that one a superbowl like I want to. Remember I said a TEAM game. Lets starr off with the best to ever play the position. Manning. Idk if you guys remember his roster. Dwight Freeney, roberth mathis, mcfareland, cato jube, bracket, mike doss, bob sanders, antoine bathea, need I say more ? All defensive players. Btw they would of never won by clutch INTs and fumble recovers by defense. Big ben= Troy Polomula, james harrison,ike taylor, larry foote, lamar woodley, ryan clark, james farrior and a great D coordinator, need I say more ? Eli manning was mostly offense but still have Justin Tuck, michael boley, Terrel thomas great year at corner, antre rolle, osi, amazing year, n the best D line that year.

June** Defense wins championships. Like the pick six in the saints colts superbowl:) but this is coming from a defensive player and a Bucs fan who won theyre only Superbowl from defense. I mean common now name one player on our team,except Barber whose, even cloose to as good as anyone I named

You’re comment is incredibly hard to read. I’m not even sure what you are trying to argue? You tried in your original comment to justify Josh being good by his TD/INT ratio, which as I’ve shown and most agree is meaningless. People think Brett Favre is pretty good and if I recall he had a few interceptions in his day.

How does having a good defense have anything to do with being a good quarterback? I’m not saying that Freeman is bad JUST b/c the Bucs don’t win games. Obviously it takes a team effort to win a game and our defense sucks. I’m saying he’s bad b/c in four years he hasn’t learned how to throw an accurate pass.

In his first year as a rookie he completed 54.5% of his passes. In 2012, he’s completing 54.7% of his passes with the best receivers he and the Bucs have ever had. That’s horrible but it’s exactly what he is..a toss up..and average QB..a guy that has a 50/50 shot at completing a pass every time he drops back. And please don’t bring up the myth that the Bucs offense is full of risky passes and that the long ball attempts lead to a bad percentage. Freeman cannot throw the intermediate pass. That is something that every NFL QB must be LETHAL with and our guy isn’t even competent in that area.